The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) is calling for commercially established party entertainment events to no longer receive public tourism funding, following incidents witnessed over the weekend.

In a statement on Monday, the association said considerable work and investment was being undertaken by the Malta Tourism Authority, its members and stakeholders across the tourism industry to reposition Malta towards a higher-value, higher-quality and more respectful tourism model.

It said the majority of hotels, restaurants and tourism operators were consistently investing in this objective throughout the year, warning that their efforts should not be undermined by incidents which could send the opposite message about Malta as a tourism destination.

The MHRA said party entertainment events had now developed into commercially established activities and should therefore not be eligible for public tourism funding at any time of the year.

It argued that public tourism resources should instead be aligned with the core objectives of Malta's tourism policy, namely quality, higher value and respectful tourism, while delivering sustainable benefits to the destination and local communities.

The association stressed that this did not mean such events should be prohibited, saying organisers should be able to continue pursuing them commercially.

However, it called for such events to operate within a clear regulatory framework covering security, crowd management, alcohol consumption, noise, cleanliness, public order and respect for surrounding communities.

"Malta can have a vibrant entertainment sector, but it must operate within the standards expected of a quality and respectful tourism destination," the MHRA said.

"Our tourism industry, our visitors and, importantly, our communities deserve better."